MAKING A LIST: A-League contractionPosted by Soccer America on Oct. 29, 2:28 p.m.Wednesday's announcement that three A-League teams -- Calgary, Edmonton and Syracuse -- have been discontinued reduces the number of A-League teams returning in 2005 to 13 from a high of 30 teams that completed the 1999 season. Here are the teams that have folded or moved down to another USL league since 1999.

OFF THE POST: Super swine saves soccer clubPosted by Soccer America on Oct. 29, 2:24 p.m.Former Yugoslavian star Dejan Govedarica bought a 220-pound pig and donated it to the players of Serbian Premier League club Vojvodina, which after months of being unable to pay its players had also ceased to provide them with meals.

In addition to the pork present, Govedarica has let players eat on credit at his Novi Sad bakery. Also, players are car-pooling ...

NEWSMAKER: Sigi SchmidPosted by Soccer America on Oct. 29, 2:20 p.m.Three months after being dismissed as coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy, despite the team being first in the Western Conference, Sigi Schmid has been named head coach of the U.S. U-20 national team.

Schmid replaces Thomas Rongen, who left the U-20 position for the Chivas USA head-coaching job. Schmid's first task will be to prepare the team for the Jan. ...

Some minor incidents and some significant ones highlighted the first legs of the conference semifinals last weekend.

D.C. keeper Nick Rimando held the ball for at least 10 seconds twice against the MetroStars. Referee Kevin Stott showed restraint in handing out four yellow cards in a match that sometimes got chippy, yet a keeper holding the ball for more ...

NEWSMAKER: Daniel KarbassiyoonPosted by Soccer America on Oct. 28, 4:15 p.m.Daniel Karbassiyoon, a 19-year-old Virginia product, scored Arsenal's winning goal in a 2-1 victory Wednesday over Manchester City in the third round of the English Carling League Cup.

Karbassiyoon, making his official competition debut, scored on a sharp drive in the 90th minute. Since signing with Arsenal in the summer of 2003, Karbassiyoon has played for the reserve team at forward ...

U-17 BOYS BEAT CANADA: The U.S. under-17 national team won three games and tied a fourth during its recent stay in the Miami area. The U-17s got two goals from David Arvizu and another from Preston Zimmerman after falling behind early to snag a 3-1 victory over Canada. Two days earlier, the U-17s played two games, tying Florida International University, ...

Soccer America&#39;s OFF THE POST: The Food FightPosted by Soccer America on Oct. 26, 2:20 p.m.Manchester United's 2-0 win over Arsenal on Sunday, which ended the Gunners' 49-game unbeaten streak, has the set off the first post-game food-fight investigation in recent memory.

According to British press reports, Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson was pelted with soup and/or pizza in the stadium tunnel from the direction of the Arsenal locker room.